This guide provides an overview of dental implants, why are they important for your health, as well as information on the implant procedure itself.
Importantly, this overview also provides guidance to the type of dental practitioner you should seek in order to perform this procedure, as well as questions you may want to ask them so you can rest assured that you are in capable hands that will enable you to enjoy a healthy and happy smile for years to come.
A dental implant is a mechanical structure that mimics the function of the natural root of the tooth. The single implant anchors a crown that functions like the natural tooth crown. During the implantation procedure, the dental clinician inserts the implant into the jawbone. The clinician then caps the implant with an artificial crown that is custom made according to the patient’s (your) anatomy.
Together, the dental implant and crown function as the natural tooth does; in chewing, talking, and of course smiling.
Multiple implants can be used to support other variety of teeth-implants configurations to help replace multiple missing teeth or teeth gums and bone.
Most high-quality dental implants are made of titanium, a biocompatible material (which means the body “accepts” the implant and does not reject it). Studies have shown that not only does the body accept the titanium implant; it actually grows bone around it, a process called osseointegration.
This process stabilizes the implant and in effect almost turns it into a part of your body.
Just like with natural teeth, it is very important to maintain good overall health and oral hygiene and care for your implants so they last a very long time.
First, its important to point out that dental implants help us maintain and sustain our ability to chew correctly and eat healthy food, thus preserve proper nutrition and keep out health. Dental implants help us speak properly, feel secure with our outward appearance and maintain our smile.
However, dental implants fulfill another critical role: The long term health of our jaw bones.
Not many people are aware of this fact, but after a tooth and its root are lost, the process of gum loss and jaw bone weakening and loss begins.
With time, this loss of supporting bone compromises the health and strength of adjacement teeth and gum tissue, and can cause teeth to shift and thus risk addition tooth loss.
Loss of tooth and its root also dimishes the bone mass and density in that area. The lack of chewing pressure ( the pressure is transferred from the bone throught the tooth and its root) the jaw bone begins to atrophy, and loses mass and size, which at the end leads to significant loss of function and disfigurment of the jaw bone.
In fact, when we observe on the ” classic” features of an older person from years past, we in fact see jaw atrophy as a result of teeth loss.
Dental implants prevents this type of atrophy, and in turn play a critical role in preserving the health, strength, and structure of the human jaw. The constant stimulation that is provided by the proper function of our mouth, in particular mastication, allows us to keep a healthy jaw bone and a youthful appearance.
You may be required to have a dental CT or panoramic X-ray, and depending on the condition of your gum or bone, you may need a bone graft prior to implantation.
This process is relatively quick and is performed in the dental practice under local anesthetics. You then need to wait for your gums and mouth to heal, and for the implant to integrate with the bone – a process that takes between three to six months.
Your dentist secures an abutment and then a crown to the implant after taking an impression/scan of the implant location.
The crown is made in a lab according to your specific dental measurements.
Nowadays there is a new generation of implant procedures that enable the completion of the whole process within one day (see “immediate loading” below).
Previously, implant dentists avoided putting force (“load”) on the implant until the surrounding tissue has healed and osseointegration occurred. Recent technological advances enable more accurate implant placement that causes less trauma and requires less healing time, reducing the need to wait.
Immediate load implants are especially advantageous if the missing tooth is at the front of the mouth. It is however important to keep in mind that immediate load implants require a high level of jaw and bone health, as well as other factors. It is up to your implant dentist to decide if you are the right candidate.
Noris Medical invests significant resources in order to create an optimal environment for the design and manufacturing of its dental products. The safety of the patient is the tip of the spear in our implant manufacturing process, and the entire process is monitored and documented for general consistency, and all manufacturing facilities follow stringent supervisory protocols.
Dental implants have come a long way and so have Implant procedures, yet it is still a process that may take weeks to months to complete and has important health as well as economic implications. It is therefore vital that you feel completely confident in the doctor you choose.
It is also important that you have good rapport with your implant dentist. You should feel comfortable asking questions, and your doctor should be forthcoming, welcome questions, and encourage communication.
It is also important to ascertain that your implant dentist uses the best implants and materials that will achieve the best results and last for a long time. As a rule, the most common implant material is titanium, which as we mentioned before is a highly biocompatible material.
Noris Medical makes a wide range of innovative titanium dental implants and restorative components to help the dentist provide you with an implant supported restoration for a long time.
Dental implant surgery is an advanced procedure and mostly causes a general sense of discomfort. Within several hours the ansthesia goes away and the area wakes up, and returns to normal. That is when a one can experience pain or high level of discomfort in the treatment area.
During the first few days after treatment it is reasoable to experience some swelling, bruising, and inflammation in the area. For some patients there is even occasional mild bleeing.
All of the above it within normal limits and should not cause concern., especially if one follow the post operative instructions discussed at the office with the doctor and staff, in order to ensure a quick and complete recovery.
Candidates for dental implants should be at an age when most of the physical growth is complete, usually at the age of 18. After this age, candidacy depends on specific clinical and medical condition.
Each case needs to be examined thoroughly by the doctor, who will plan the individual treatment accordingly. Recent medical developments have enabled the majority of patients to benefit from treatment. In cases of bone deficiencies, complementary surgery techniques are available. Noris Medical is continually developing new solutions that enable dental professionals to provide these solutions to a wider range of patients.
A large number of implant procedures are relatively simple and most dental clinics are able to conduct them. it is, however, important to note that there are more complex implant procedures and special medical conditions that require treatment by a dental implantologist with advanced training.
המועמדים להשתלת שיניים צריכים להיות בגיל שבו הגדילה הפיזית הסתיימה ברובה, בדרך כלל בני 18 לפחות. לאחר גיל זה המועמדות תלויה במצב קליני ורפואי של כל מועמד.
Implants have proven themselves as extremely long-term solutions. It is important to note that just like your natural teeth, so do implants require regular and thorough maintenance of oral health in order to extend the life of the implant.
A routine implant surgery process is within the period of normal dental treatment. In cases of more complex processes involving several locations, the duration may be longer and require several visits. Implants that require prior bone grafting take a few months to complete, in order to allow the bone graft to assimilate into the jawbone prior to the implant procedure.
This depends on one’s specific case and the treatment plan. In some cases, the doctor will place a temporary crown at the end of the treatment. In other cases, the patient is required to wait a few months for osseointegration to occur. This is an important process, whereby the jawbone grows around the implant, stabilizing it and in effect ‘accepting’ it as a tooth root.
The implant placement procedure is a routine process, and according to patients, the discomfort is less than that of a tooth extraction.
In most cases, the patient can get back to daily activity the next day after the procedure, unless otherwise instructed by the dentist.
Implants show a high percentage of long-term success with almost no need for complicated maintenance, providing the patient with higher level of convenience compared to other dental modalities like bridges or removable dentures.
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